Ever fly in and out of small, regional airports?

Ever fly in and out of Albert Lea&8217;s small, regional airport?

If you answered yes to both questions, then you probably noticed the Albert Lea Municipal Airport could sell Albert Lea a little better.

Most people don&8217;t fly, but the ones who do usually are either in higher income brackets or work for profitable, well-run companies or both. They are people who make decisions that affect aspects of local economies.

Need an example? Some Target Corp. officials, when considering Albert Lea for a cold-storage distribution facility earlier this year, likely came through the Albert Lea Municipal Airport. It&8217;s a place to make a first impression.

Need another? Many people know the story of the governor having to fly to Austin on Memorial Day for the dedication of the Freeborn County Veterans Memorial because the Albert Lea airport was unavailable. People like events, such as the gliders in town that day, but the airport should never be closed during sunny skies, especially to the governor. (And especially when anyone who had read the Tribune knew the governor was coming.)

The Albert Lea City Council and the city staff need to raise the bar when it comes to what it expects out of its airport and how that place greets and treats the flying public. The atmosphere there needs to be more like a welcome center and less like a bus stop. The operation of that place needs to be at the next level &8212; specifically, it needs to be more professional.

In fact, it would be prudent for the city to partner with the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce or the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Visitors & Convention Bureau to set up a true airport welcome center.

Visit neighboring airports and see what they have. Ask pilots who fly to multiple airports for suggestions to improve Albert Lea Municipal Airport. They will tell city officials plenty.

It&8217;s time to take the issue of improving the airport off the back burner and move it to the front.

It&8217;s time for change.